Wire stretching and splicing tool



(No Model.)

, 0. J. LA BAUVE. WIRE STRETGHING AND SPLICING TOOL.

No. 538,451. Patented Apr. 30, 1895.

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WIRE STRETCHING AND SPLICING TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 538,451, dated April 30, 1895. Application filed September 18, 1894:- Serial No. 523,380. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ODELoN J OSEPH LA BAUVE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Angleton, in the county of Brazoria and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire Stretching and Splicing Tools; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices to facilitate the splicing of broken wires in repairing barb and other wire fences; also in the provision of simple means for connecting together the ends of wires Where it is essential that the said ends be drawn together by positive means and held during the operation of twilsting-or otherwise fastening the separated en s.

The invention consists essentially of a head having a laterally projecting arm provided with a wire gripping device, a second arm adjustably mounted in the head and provided at one end with a corresponding wire gripping device, means for positively separating the said arms and bringing them into closer relation, whereby the ends of the wires to be secured together are caused to overlap so that they canbe twisted together, and in a clamping device attached to and carried by the head for the purpose of gripping the overlapping ends of the wires and securing them until the respective ends are twisted or otherwise secured to the contiguous portion of the adjacent wire.

The improvement also consists in the novel features and peculiar construction and combination of the parts which hereinafter will be more fully described and claimed, and which are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the tool, showingits application. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 0c 00 of Fig. 1. Fig; 3 isa detail view of the wire-gripping device at the end of the arms.

Similar letters and numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

The head B is preferably a hollow casting through which the arm A is adapted to slide. An upwardly extending arm 0 fixedly attached to or forming a part of the head is provided at its upper end with a wire gripping device, the latter consisting of a cam-shaped lever I-I serrated on its gripping face, and an overhanging portion 2 which forms a seat for the wire and receives the active end of the cam lever H. This camlever H is pivoted to a side-of the arm and is provided with teeth or serrations on its active end to bite into the wire and grip the same firmly.

The arm A is provided at the end opposite the curved arm 0 with an upwardly extending portion or arm a which corresponds to the upwardly extending arm 0. The lower edge of the arm A is provided with cog teeth 3 which mesh into a pinion tlocated in the head B. This pinion 4 is mounted on a shaft 5 which is journaled in the head B and has one end extended to receive a crank or other operatin g handle F. A detent pawl D is adapted to engage with the pinion i and hold the same against backward movement: The upper end of the portion or arm a is provided with a corresponding overhanging portion 2 similar to that on the arm 0 and a cam lever H the counterpart of that on the arm 0 is provided and constitutes a wire gripping device. A ring or loop 6 is provided in the arm A for convenience in hitching the tool, to a post, a vehicle or other convenient point of suspension.

The clamping mechanism for securing the two ends of the wires when the latter are overlapped or brought together comprises a fixed jaw E and a movable jaw E, the two being pivotally connected at their base portions by means of a projecting portion on the jaw E entering a corresponding depression in the jaw E, and being held in place by a pivot. A set or binding screw e is provided to advance the two jaws and grip the same upon the overlapping ends of the wires.

The operation of the tools is as follows: It being desired to join or connect the broken ends of a fence wire, one end of one wire is engaged by the gripping device on the arm 0 and the end of the other Wire is engaged by the wire gripping device on the arm a. Under ordinary conditions the ends cannot be brought together nearer than about two or three inches. By having the ends engaged in the manner set forth and the arms 0 and a separated as far as possible on rotating the shaft 5 the arm A will be operated through the head B to advance the portion a toward the arm 0, thereby bringing the two ends of the wire together, and if the operation is continued the ends of the wires will be overlapped. At this stage the overlapping ends are brought between the jaws E and E and gripped therein. The free ends are then twisted about the contiguous portion of the opposite Wire in the usual manner of splicing or connecting the ends of two wires together. After the splice or union is completed the several gripping parts are released and the tool detached to be used again in the manner set forth.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- The herein specified wire stretching and splicing tool, comprising a hollow head having an arm projected therefrom and terminating in an overhanging portion, a camshaped lever pivoted to the side of the said arm and adapted to co-operate with the overhanging portion to grip the Wire, a second arm adapted to work loosely through the hollow head and provided with cog teeth and having one end projected and provided with an overhanging portion, a cam lever adapted to co-operate with the said latter overhanging portion to grip the wire, a pinion located in the hollow head and adapted to mesh with the cog teeth of the movable arm and adapted to be rotated by' means of a handle applied to its journal, a detent pawl to engage with the said pinion, and a wire clamping device mounted on said hollow head located intermediate of the two wire gripping devices and comprising a relatively fixed jaw attached to the head, a movable jaw and a binding screw, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ODELON JOSEPH LA BAUVE.

Vvitnesses:

J. L. COCHRAN, S. J ONES. 

